MSU Women's Basketball receives NCAA public recognition for academic progress

May 09, 2008 01:19 pm

— On Thursday (April 24), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) honored Division I sports teams with public recognition awards for their latest multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. Morehead State University was honored for its women’s basketball program.
“We’re extremely proud of the academic success of our women’s basketball program,” said MSU Athletic Director Brian Hutchinson. “They are true student-athletes.
“We are committed to this type of progress with all of our sports. We know there is still work to do, and we must continue to educate all of our student-athletes about the value of academic success as well as success on the courts and on the fields.”
The honored teams posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. The teams recognized this year represent 11.4 percent of the 6,272 Division I teams. The list includes 401 women’s teams and 311 men’s or mixed squads. A total of 192 Division I institutions had at least one team on the top APR list. High-performing teams receiving awards posted APR scores ranging from 965 to a perfect 1,000 over the data collection period. Three Ohio Valley Conference schools received awards, MSU, Eastern Kentucky and Samford.
“Congratulations to these teams and their student-athletes for success in the classroom,” NCAA President Myles Brand said. “They are setting a great example for their peers and future student-athletes, as well.”
The effort is part of a public-recognition program the Division I Board of Directors approved in January 2006. Last year, a total of 839 teams were recognized.
The APR provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention, and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport. High-performing teams receiving awards posted APR scores ranging from 965 to a perfect 1,000.
Multi-year APR scores for all 6,110 Division I sports teams, including the teams receiving public recognition awards, will be announced May 6. The announcement also will include immediate and historical penalties for low-performing teams.